Mobile and Computer Monitoring Softwarehttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog
Mobistealth.comFri, 20 Feb 2015 05:34:19 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1What To Remember When Considering Tablet Securityhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/remember-tablet-security/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/remember-tablet-security/#commentsFri, 20 Feb 2015 05:34:19 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2164Tablets have been quite the rage lately but users are not entirely keeping them safe when it comes to protecting your tablet from malware or other unneeded malicious code. Some threats are bigger and need careful handling but it is recommended to keep your device secure at all times to avoid malware no matter how big or small- a threat is a threat. We need to ask ourselves whether our devices are fully safe and secure or not?

Tablet users are increasing

With the ever increasing demand for tablets not just from those who love to utilize Apple products but an entire new business market has opened up for tablets as various companies and organizations are encouraging their employees to work with tablets which improves their capacity to work in an efficient and productive way. But this convenience comes with a price; your device is at greater risk of contracting harmful code and programs that would weaken your systems security. Thus taking precautions for device security are more necessary than ever before.

Here are some major threats to tablet security and how to handle them:

Losing data

With newer ways of hacking into other peoples computers and making their information vulnerable to use has surfaced much on the internet lately. It is important that users are careful at all times because stealing data and harming users as result of security breach is what hackers do. Make sure to keep your systems security up to date and be vigilant enough to keep your data backed up in case malicious code harms your PC.

Network glitches

Another major mistake that most of us commit on a routinely basis is using public or unknown Wi-Fi’s which can be potential sources of harming our devices with malicious code and malware. Hackers and phishers are always trying to tap into the devices through security loopholes to commit cybercrimes. Installing a VPN and a Wi-Fi hotspot (carrier based) to avoid such hackers and cyber criminals.

Malware

You can’t always completely escape malware! Malicious codes, programs, applications and phishing scams along with many other threats put Android tablets especially at risk. Without proper verification and authenticity of certain applications and programs, do not install them. The risk is normally minimized when employers ensure that the device is not crowded with irrelevant apps by the employees.

Theft

Using pins and keeping password protection in case the tablet is stolen, can come in handy. Try installing tracking software for additional security measures. But in case the device is owned by the company then it would be wiser to check in with the employer first before you install the tracker.

BYOD policy

If the employee in an organization owns their own tablets then is best to encourage them to bring their own devices for work as it would make them comfortable to work with it and it would help cut down on costs however it has the disadvantage of opening their personal tablets to all types malicious code and scams. To keep away from such problems try to instill regular security check-ups by the IT department as well as a BYOD policy to guarantee that no official data is to be saved in the device as it is sensitive information of the company.

All devices are subject to be threatened by malware, scams or other forms of malicious code at one time or another however the best option is to try and secure your device in the best possible way.

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/remember-tablet-security/feed/0How To Reduce Cyber Security Attackshttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/reduce-cyber-security-attacks/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/reduce-cyber-security-attacks/#commentsWed, 18 Feb 2015 05:33:39 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2160Cyber attacks are now similar to what burglaries at home used to be. People who make use of technology have all at some point been victims of online security breaches in one way or another. No one is ever 100% safe while online and this isn’t something which individuals face in terms of personal security or safety; even businesses and large companies aren’t able to protect themselves in any better manner.

It may come as a surprise that a number of companies are still old school with respect to implementing a security system to keep data protected. Focus is usually placed on ensuring that attacks don’t take place while no emphasis is put on what happens actually when someone actually does find a way to get through security precautions. Efforts need to be put on how security can be tackled in this day and age and this can be done through breach detection.

Breach detection is a method which relies on finding out long tail intrusions once they have occurred. The process consists of finding out, assessing and then reducing any damage which may have occurred after the breach has taken place. This process could help in either making or breaking the security information of the company. This is where the logic of prevention being better than the cure itself doesn’t stand to work any longer. It is up to companies which need to be able to rehabilitate their systems fast without any problems from occurring further. This also requires the problem to be found as fast as possible and solved.

Hackers aren’t how they used to be before. If you are more protected than any other firm doesn’t reduce your chance of getting hacked. Every attack done is usually customized according to the person or firm being targeted. It is likely that the hacker too has every security measure in place similar to yours so that he/she can learn how the codes can be cracked quicker. Once the breach takes place is when the damage actually begins hence making breach detection to be an important concept.

In order for breach detection to actually be effective, it would require it to be able to process large amounts of data at one time. Apart from this, it should also be able to figure out exactly what the problem is which needs tackling. Breach detection tools such as Aorato, Bit9, Exabeam and Seculert are some examples which have done well in this area. They try in honing the actual issue which needs to be examined and dealt with rather than creating an influx of irrelevant security alerts. These tools would be able to get their hands on any clues which may have been left behind by a hacker.

With firms losing sensitive data to such security breaches, consistent and more powerful techniques are needed to solve such situations. By ignoring the issue would lead to internal data being at risk and would also put the company and its clients at risk in the future.

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/reduce-cyber-security-attacks/feed/0Staying Safe Over Public Wi-Fi Networkshttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/staying-safe-public-wi-fi-networks/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/staying-safe-public-wi-fi-networks/#commentsMon, 16 Feb 2015 05:35:48 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2162Public Wi-Fi networks are not always as harmless as they may seem to be. But what can one do when they are out of their homes and need to use their device over the internet? There isn’t much anyone can do to ensure that the public connection they are about to make use of is secure. However what can be done is that a person can make sure their device is strong and engage in habits which keeps their devices and their presence online safe.

Beef It Up

Multi-factor or two-factor authentication is what is used to ensure that a person needs two or more pieces of data to access any account. This could consist of perhaps making use of a password as well as an authentication code which would be sent to your email or your phone for instance. Why is this authentication important? It is important because in case your account does get hacked or anyone gets access to any sensitive data, they wouldn’t be able to do anything with it because they wouldn’t be able to have any physical access to your phone.

Hackers Galore

There are times when a hacker may even set up a fake Wi-Fi network so that people get attracted to making use of a public network which is free. The local coffee shop for example could have a hacker setting up a free connection to entice customers to make use of it. Thus, if you aren’t using the official connection of the coffee shop and instead log on to the one created by the hacker and do not have a software protecting your device, the chances are high that your device would be attacked and would get you into a lot of trouble. Thus, it would be better to be more prudent the next time you decide to connect to a network in public.

Security? Security!

It is likely that your device has come with a firewall however if it didn’t, make sure that you get one. The firewall has access to all the data that is being sent or received and while it may not be able to give you protection entirely, it would provide you with some kind of safety for sure. Having a good firewall can help in weeding out some issues.

It is also a good idea to encrypt your browser while you make use of it online. The best way of doing so would be to get a plug-in that turns web viewing into an HTTPS experience. While most websites make use of plain text when transmitting data, it increases the risk to attacks and hacks whereas an HTTPS connection sends and receives data through an encryption connection. This is what is needed to increase the security of your system. While websites such as Google and Facebook have such a connection by default, getting a plug in for those websites which don’t would be a good idea.

Threats are likely to exist in the digital world which is why it is a good idea to make you safe while using the internet.

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/staying-safe-public-wi-fi-networks/feed/0How To Keep Your Password Safehttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/password-safe/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/password-safe/#commentsFri, 13 Feb 2015 05:26:22 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2152Keeping recent events into consideration, one should always remember that their passwords are something which can get hacked into very easily. The same password which helps in keeping your personal information safe has the potential of getting hacked and could allow hackers to find their way into your life. While this may be terrible to think about, what’s good is that there are certain ways through which this can be avoided.

Getting Started

First of all, you should never make use of the same password twice. Most people tend to use the same password for of their accounts online. However doing so increases the chances of your accounts being hacked because if one is hacked, all your remaining accounts and details are at risk as well. Thus, to minimize this risk, not only should you not use the same password twice but you should also make sure that the ones you make are strong.

Secondly, you should avoid making use of open and public Wi-Fi networks especially if you don’t trust them. It can be very enticing to make use of open networks while you are out so that you can check your emails, check social networking sites or even get your work done. While this may help you kill some time, you never know what information of yours anyone can get through the network without you even knowing. There are a number of software’s which could get to your details without you even realizing what has happened. At the same time, it is also a good time to not log in to any personal accounts if you absolutely must use the open network. This is because software’s such as Key loggers can store account information within seconds.

Third, make sure that the passwords you are using are strong and solid because no matter how much precaution you take, without a solid password, you can’t keep your data safe. Make sure your passwords have a combination of letters, numbers and characters which may seem difficult to remember but it will be even more difficult to hack. You could even keep whatever your current password is and simply add some numbers and characters to it to make it slightly more complicated.

Lastly, never trust any random website. Phishing pages have become very common and what they do is that they prompt you to sign in to your account or into your inbox whereas you have actually done so already. The aim of these pages is to get you to sign in through their fake page so that they get their hands on your password. In such cases, you need to be extra careful and double check any link or prompt that you get. The best thing would be to mark these as spam and delete them immediately.

Conclusion

Your password is your gateway to all your accounts online and keeping it safe will determine your well being on the internet as well. If you are unable to keep yourself safe online, you will end up blaming yourself later on if something goes wrong.

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/password-safe/feed/0Who Would Have Thought That A SIM Card Could Also Be Hackedhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/thought-sim-card-hacked/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/thought-sim-card-hacked/#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 05:26:17 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2150The SIM card is an essential part of modern mobile communication systems and it also stores some essential user information whichmay be basic but is not unimportant. If recent news is to be believed than here’s what it has to say about the SIM card – the security of the SIM has been breached after 20 long years of its existence. According to details, a large number of SIMs are susceptible to the newly discovered hack which allows the hacker to infect a random SIM with viruses that sends premium text messages to the target device and can also record conversations taking place over the phone. In addition, this hack is also capable of gaining access to sandboxed details stored on a SIM by mobile payment apps. This allows the attacker to get hold of essential financial information, including bank and credit card details in a similar fashion in which a mobile phone spy software collects information, details of which could be found on www.stealthmate.com. Karsten Nohl, a German security researcher, recently found a way to acquire the cryptographic key that opens the door to a SIM card and he also demonstrated the method well enough to get people worried about the security of their mobile devices.

Significant Discovery

Nohl unlocked the cryptographic key to the SIM when he sent his own OTA SMS that were not signed with the correct key. He noticed that some phones showed an error message that also revealed the cryptographic signature. After the first phase, Nohl unlocked the SIM card’s cryptographic key in approximately one minute by using rainbow tables that include a list of plaintext keys/passwords and their encrypted forms. After gaining access to the key, the German security researcher was able to forward apps and viruses to the SIM card, thus enabling him to send premium text messages, record calls, re-route calls, and even zero in on the exact location of the mobile device. This little experiment makes it very clear that a person who has access to a SIM card could do just about everything with your device.

The Many Secrets Of A SIM Card

For the longest time a vast majority of people have considered SIM cards to be small memory storage blocks which are used by mobile phones to connect to a cellular network, while also providing a small space for storing important contact numbers. But the SIM card holds many more secrets than an average phone user might not be able to identify. It doesn’t matter what you considered a SIM card to be in the past, the fact is that this card is actually a mini computer that has its own processor, memory, and an active operating system.

Autopsy Of A SIM Card

Beneath the plastic of a SIM card is installed a chip which supports a processor, ROM (firmware which stored the OS and SIM apps), EEPROM (which stores phone settings, phone book etc.), and RAM. This chip is not an ordinary chip and has been designed with intricate detail.

How To Hack Into A SIM Card

Up till this point we have established that the SIM card is actually a small computer and can therefore be hacked since it has its own operating system that can be attacked from the outside. Latest designs of SIM cards run on a less complex operating system that loads up a Java Card, which is one of the many manifestations of the Java virtual machine for smart cards that also includes SIM cards. The Java Card runs small Java applets and each individual applet is encapsulated and protected by a firewall by the Java virtual machine. This process prevents any personal user information from leaking to other apps. A mobile device regularly communicates with these apps via SIM Application Toolkit (STK) to show information on the mobile screen and also to send information to other devices. New apps are uploaded and existing ones are constantly updated onto the SIM through hidden text messages that are sent by the carrier which contains over-the-air (OTA) programming in binary form. For the SIM to identify the source of the message and accept the incoming information, these messages are signed with a cryptographic key so that the SIM card would know that the information is important and secure.

In addition, Nohl found another bug in the Java Card that can provide a virus or an app complete access to a SIM card by breaking down the firewall enabled by the Java virtual machine. Once the virus bypasses all security gates on the SIM card, it can extract any data saved to the SIM card memory. This includes gaining access to your address book or financial details that have been stored by mobile payment apps.

The Story So Far…

Nohl said that his method allowed him to gain access to SIM cards on some phones because the Triple DES encryption found on new versions of the SIM card could not be easily bypassed. For the general public the best way to handle this issue is to obtain new versions of SIM cards that have been upgraded to Triple DES encryption to secure their mobile phones.

For the time being, security experts believe that the Java Card is susceptible to outside attacks and overcoming these weaknesses would take quite some time. With Kohl’s discovery the field has been thrown wide open for other security researchers and hackers to look for other loopholes in the SIM card. There is no doubt that these vulnerabilities would be thoroughly exploited in the coming days until a powerful encryption is developed for the SIM cards to keep user information safe and outside the reach of unauthorized people.

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/thought-sim-card-hacked/feed/0Does BlackBerry Have Anything Left To Offer?http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/blackberry-left-offer/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/blackberry-left-offer/#commentsMon, 09 Feb 2015 05:26:06 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2148Blackberry has recently launched another keyboard fitted device. The BlackBerry Passport is a new and more refined version of one its previous and easy device however despite this; it still is one which users are having a tough time to love. Apart from this, users seem to be asking why BlackBerry too cannot adopt the Android operating system. This would certainly help them deal with a lot of the problems they have been facing.

Bigger Numbers

By doing so, first of all the number of apps which would be available for users on the platform would increase. All those apps which people are unable to use due to using BlackBerry would be within their reach. Also, the Google platform would bring in a number of core services which would improve BlackBerry completely and give it a makeover which could lead to users to perhaps even make the switch to the company. Nokia too has introduced its Windows OS looking phone; while the face of it is Windows, you are technically using the Android OS and the results have been pretty good. However BlackBerry isn’t similar to Nokia and may not be able to do so with the same ease as did Nokia.

By doing so, BlackBerry could solve all of its problems associated with its devices. This includes the BlackBerry Classic which people were eagerly waiting for. However there doesn’t seem to be any hope that BlackBerry will be putting the Android OS in their phones. This is mostly because the company prides itself for the security it has been providing its users and is something for which it was known in the news while Android on the other hand wasn’t so great in the same department.

A Feature For You

For the moment, BlackBerry has protection features to offer which causes envy from other platforms. The software and hardware both have got features for the maximum protection. The security feature for the OS, the BlackBerry Safeguard as a 256 bit AES encryption in place. It also has the additional ability of locking down the phone or locating it remotely. It also offers privacy protection online to its users. The messenger too offers encryption like no other. Thus while Android has to worry about malicious apps hacking into others to steal data, BlackBerry has Balance set in place which places barriers between apps that work for which they are intended.

BlackBerry is still seen as having some features which give it an edge over others which are available in the market. At the top of the list is the security it offers and isn’t something considered to be small. With privacy and security issues constantly rising on a daily basis, a BlackBerry device could certainly be one of the best to own at this point and could even bank on this factor if they would stop making more keyboard devices. Thus, if the right call is made by BlackBerry it could certainly come up in the market and pose to be a good competition.

Image credit: Zeynep Demir / Shutterstock.com

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/blackberry-left-offer/feed/0How Private Is Google’s Incognito Modehttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/private-googles-incognito-mode/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/private-googles-incognito-mode/#commentsFri, 06 Feb 2015 05:19:17 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2132Private browsing mode is very convenient for those who wish to use the internet to search for things they don’t want others to know about. People may wish to search for gifts for others, ways to plan an event or perhaps even personal things they wouldn’t want others to know about. This is where private browsing comes in handy.

A number of modern search engines and browsers give users the option of searching using the private browsing mode which can be opted for from the beginning of the browsing session. By doing so, the history information of the user isn’t recorded in the browser. Thus, once the window has been closed, information from the private browsing session cannot be retrieved or viewed by anyone at any point.

It is however possible to achieve the same goal without having to search and use the internet with private browsing turned on. This can be done by clearing the search history, the cache files and the cookies once the browsing session is over. This will effectively remove any traces, will be easy to conduct and will not be as time consuming as it is with switching on the private browsing mode.

The private browsing mode works in a similar way in every search engine. The new browser window which is opened is different and independent from the main session and any additional tabs which may be opened in the window will be under the private browsing mode. This will then allow users to access as many websites as they would like. While most private browsing sessions are the same, there is a slight different between the private browsing mode of Firefox and the Incognito mode of Google Chrome.

When using the latter, you may have noticed that restoring a closed tab in that mode isn’t possible. While not everyone using this mode would be in need of doing so, those who have a habit of using it would find it difficult to re-open any tab they may have closed mistakenly in the browser. If you cannot remember the website or where you landed on the site from, it can be difficult for you to be able to open the site again.

Firefox on the other hand handles the windows in the private browsing mode as separate instances meaning that while the mode is activated, you can easily re-open tabs which you may have closed. In order to do so, you can simply use Ctrl-Shift=t or right click on the tab bar and choose the undo close tab option from the menu which will open up the tab you closed.

Just for an additional piece of information, Opera and Google Chrome work in the same manner while Internet Explorer and Firefox work similarly to one another. This is because the former two make use of Chromium. While some people do wonder why the search engines work differently when it comes to undoing tabs, there is unfortunately no formal or official answer for the question. The only possible answer is that Internet Explorer and Firefox handle their information on the window level whereas Google Chrome and Opera- Chromium based browsers handle information on a tab level.

Image credit: 360b-Shutterstock.com

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/private-googles-incognito-mode/feed/0New PC Bug And How To Avoid Ithttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/pc-bug-avoid/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/pc-bug-avoid/#commentsWed, 04 Feb 2015 05:19:16 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2130If you have ever received a Power Point presentation from someone you do not know then it is best to not open it. The best thing to do would be to delete the file unless you know who the sender is. By doing so, it is highly likely that you will be avoiding yourself getting into a security related mess. Microsoft Office has lately found a bug which can certainly cause its users a lot of trouble.

Little Bug, Big Problems

While this bug is little, it isn’t considered so with respect to the amount of damage it can do. The Power Point feature in Microsoft Office has a loophole in it which can cause your entire system to be compromised regardless of the version of Windows you may have working on your computer. While steps are being taken by the company to rectify this problem, one needs to be careful of this bug which can certainly wreck the Windows system if it manages to get inside.

The bug has the ability of attaching itself to any OS related to Windows. This includes Windows 7 or 8, Windows Server 2008 and 2012, Windows RT and Windows Vista as well. While not much has been heard regarding Windows XP but chances are that the bug can infect it as well.

When the bug gets executed on any system, it gives the attacker control to the system similar to what you have. This allows them to install any apps they may like and execute any codes, things which can be done by the admin only. Seems pretty scary doesn’t it? The bug is part of the direct piece of the OLE system which is attached to Power Point. While it lets you put data and other stuff into your presentation, it also has the ability of being a vulnerability. While previously this was thought to be a secure software, problems are beginning to occur with it as well.

Avoiding It All

The best part however is that the bug can be avoided if you do not open any presentation which has been sent to you by an anonymous person. Presentations shared online are generally not safe hence when you receive one in your email it would be best not to open it. Apart from this you also need to make sure that you do not download random files from the internet. Even if you find a presentation online which has everything you are looking for, do not download it.

To control the situation, you can also make use of the User Account Control option. If your version of Windows has this option, make sure it is enabled. Not only will it get rid of the bug but it will always ask you for permission and prompts to ensure that you aren’t opening a file harmful to your computer. Similar to most threats, you can easily keep safe from the impact if you stay smart regarding how you use the internet or anything which is digital. One needs to be smart to keep safe.

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/pc-bug-avoid/feed/0New App Announced By Facebook Promising Anonymity And Privacyhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/app-announced-facebook-promising-anonymity-privacy/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/app-announced-facebook-promising-anonymity-privacy/#commentsMon, 02 Feb 2015 05:19:11 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2128Facebook is soon to release a new app which stays anonymous and is considered to provide privacy however this isn’t the main reason why it is considered to be a great app. With most apps, bullies, spammers and trolls find it easy to stay anonymous and even if they get blocked, they can make a new account and begin their abuse all over again. What’s great about this new app is that Facebook doesn’t plan on leaving room for this to happen.

The Protector

While users who interact with trolls never know who they are talking to, Facebook instead will. Facebook will also not allow any of these trolls to make another login and harass other users on the website. This is ought to bring Facebook with a whole new level of respect from its users as it had initially lost this respect for failing to allow people to keep their details private. Anonymous apps are gaining popularity as people can do what they wish to without having to bear any of the consequences. Hence, Facebook too is giving people the same amount of privacy to people while at the same time ensuring no unpleasant individuals can find their way around it and harass people.

Fake profiles are being cracked down on by Facebook for privacy as well as security concerns along with wanting to reduce the amount of online abuse which takes place. This new app being released will help those with genuine profiles to gain some amount of safety and privacy for themselves. With hackers and spammers constantly stealing others’ identities and with NSA on their tails, this app seems to be God sent.

The app and the idea behind it of giving people back some form of safety and privacy surely sounds amazing and remarkable in such a day and age but is it really something which Facebook itself is offering? The same Facebook which has sometimes made information about people more public than what they would have liked and having messed with their privacy settings? The tech firm also has reports surrounding it regarding its cooperation with government authorities and sending over personal data to them along with shutting down human rights groups in oppressive countries when it would receive official requests to commit such acts. Perhaps it is possible that the privacy and anonymity it claims to be offering will blow up in users’ faces.

Staying Safe

The new app could certainly help people speak up, especially those who are afraid to say what they may wish to. Countries where censorship laws are strict or people are in danger for the kind of views they hold could greatly benefit from such an app. While people who aren’t genuine will be able to conceal their identity from regular users, they will not be able to do so from Facebook. However with Facebook, things can never be this simple which is why one should tread with caution before deciding to use this app or not.

Image credit: Pan Xunbin / Shutterstock.com

]]>http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/app-announced-facebook-promising-anonymity-privacy/feed/0Tips For Ensuring The Maximum Security On Android Deviceshttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/tips-ensuring-maximum-security-android-devices/
http://www.mobistealth.com/blog/tips-ensuring-maximum-security-android-devices/#commentsFri, 30 Jan 2015 09:57:16 +0000adminhttp://www.mobistealth.com/blog/?p=2076Versions of android which run on various devices can be distinguished with ease however there are tips which can be followed to make sure that the device is kept secure. A number of these tips which will be mentioned below can also be applied to devices using iOS as well.

Download apps from the Google Play Store only. The most dangerous thing about android is not its system but rather the apps which a user downloads. In comparison to iOS, downloading apps on android is easy however you should never download them from any third party website as they might infect your apps and ultimately your phone. Also never allow root access as it could increase the risks associated with your phone running into infected apps.

Keep an eye out for application permissions. Not only should you only download apps from a known source but you should also check the permissions apps ask you for when installing the app. By paying attention to this, you will know what all the app is asking to access

Make use of strong passwords always. For your phone, it is always a good idea to make use of passwords instead of pins or graphic codes. The best option would be a password and that too one which includes a combination of letters, numbers and characters. Also make sure to keep changing the password often and disable the option of showing the password while it is being typed

Make sure to encrypt your data as this will make sure that no one can access the data on your phone even if it were to get lost or stolen. A password for this purpose is a better option and even in the latest version of android, encryption is based on a password or pin only.

Keep a watch on your Wi-Fi connections because android by default will connect your device to any network you may have accessed. Considering open access points, it is quite likely that the hotspot could be malicious or have been created by a cyber attacker due to which you should try avoiding public hotspots and disable the default function so your phone doesn’t connect to open connections

Make use of a VPN; this is particularly relevant when you want to use an un-trusted network connection or a public hotspot. By using a VPN, the data you transfer through the public network will be kept safe.

Disable the option of notifications constantly being pushed to your phone and appearing on the status bar or display. Notifications may even include using codes to confirm transactions and transfer of sensitive data. While there is no one notification center through which you can disable this means that you would have to do so manually

It would be a good idea to apply settings to the Google services as leakage of any information could lead to a number of negative consequences as culprits may be able to gain access to your messages and other data

Get rid of any unnecessary apps or those which you don’t use. The greater the number of apps on your phone, the higher the risk for your phone to be the victim of malicious activities. Android phones often also come with a number of apps installed in them already, many of which aren’t used which is why you should delete them if you won’t be using them

Make use of two factor authentication for apps and Google. This is one of the best ways to ensure that you have the maximum protection and security on your account. It consists of using a password along with a onetime code sent to your phone via text without which log ins aren’t possible thus providing the user with additional security